AhlulBayt News Agency: UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has urged European Union leaders to exert pressure on Israel for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip.
In a social media post on Sunday, Albanese, who serves as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, made this appeal as Israel continues to detain Abu Safiya without charge.
Abu Safiya was abducted on December 27, 2024, when Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, forcing patients and medical staff to evacuate while detaining others.
The Israeli military said that the 51-year-old Abu Safiya was among those taken for questioning regarding alleged affiliations with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
He is reportedly being held in Sde Teiman military prison, known for its history of torture.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and various UN agencies have stated they have received no updates about his safety since his detention.
Earlier this year, Abu Safiya's lawyer indicated that the Palestinian doctor had faced severe mistreatment while in Israeli custody.
His family reported that he endured harsh conditions during the initial days of his detention, including 24 days in solitary confinement before being transferred to Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where he continues to experience poor treatment.
The family has called on the international community to pressure Israel for the provision of adequate food and medical care for him and to secure his immediate release.
Humanitarian organizations and rights groups have demanded international intervention to ensure the release of Abu Safiya and all detained medical personnel, emphasizing the necessity of protecting healthcare workers and upholding their rights.
In her post, Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, also called on the 27-member bloc to intervene and secure the freedom of thousands of other Palestinian detainees held by Israel.
According to Gaza media sources, at least 5,000 Palestinians have been abducted since October 2023, coinciding with Israel's most intense military offensive in the besieged territory.
The fate and conditions of many of these detainees remain unknown.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club reports that Israeli forces have also arrested at least 12,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, not accounting for the thousands detained in Gaza.
The Israeli rights group B’Tselem previously noted that Israeli authorities are systematically abusing Palestinians in newly established prison camps following the October 7 al-Aqsa operation, subjecting them to severe violence and sexual assault.
Rights groups assert that these ongoing arrest campaigns are accompanied by increased abuse, severe beatings, and verbal and physical threats against detainees and their families.
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